Antonio's Magic Tomato Box
by FragrantAlmond
Summary: Lovino remembers his traumatic childhood. "Remember, Lovino, this is a special tomato box. Grandpa Roma gave us this to place only our special tomatoes. Will you help me look after this box?" Determined in protecting Antonio's tomato box, young Lovino would go through ANY lengths for its safety.


**Antonio's Magic Tomato Box**

**Chapter 1**

"_Fratello, look what I found!" _

_The Italian boy named Lovino Vargas came running towards his younger brother. "What is that, Feli?" he asked. Looking at the mysterious object, his amber eyes filled with curiosity as he studied the enormous lump sitting in the middle of the living room. It was a tall, cube shaped object draped in crystal white cloth. The identical twins both looked at each other and smiled. In seconds, the cloth fell in one fluid motion only to reveal a simple..._

"Tomato box?" Lovino held the box in his hand, studying its exterior carefully. What was a tomato box doing in his wardrobe? It was old, damaged and coated with a thick layer of dust, proof of its old age and a complete contrast to what it used to look like all those years ago. All of a sudden, a bright light flashed in his mind and all of his childhood memories came flooding back to him. His thoughts were spinning uncontrollably like a boat on a raging tempest. His legs could no longer support him and he dropped to his knees, hands clutched firmly onto each side of his head. The feeling was so intense and agonising that he felt like smashing his head on the wooden floor, to break open his head and release all the memories that was currently invading his mind – memories that he preferred not to remember.

It was the most painful ten seconds of his life, but it felt like it lasted for ten years.

The fact is the events that re-played in his mind did last for ten years.

* * *

"_Fratello, Fratello, you must come and see this!" Feliciano exclaimed as he came rushing towards Lovino's direction. His clothes, hands, face and feet were covered in mud, and the elder twin groaned when his figure came to sight over the hill. He was clutching his sombrero as he ran. The wind was mild, but despite that Feliciano took extra precaution. He stopped 5 inches in front of his brother, and a wide grin stretched across his face, a grin so wide that it was wider that all the fields surrounding them combined. It was a cheerful look as always; almost excited even._

_The auburn haired child tugged restlessly on his brother's dirt stained shirt, whist blurting out a series of incoherent words. By the look of impatience in Feliciano's face and his distinctive squirmy movements, Lovino need not a second to understand that Feliciano wanted to show him something important. And so, as to stop the irritating whines that was now ringing in his mind, he got up from his position (and with a sigh of relief, had he been in that position for god knows how long) and followed after his brother, who was currently running back to their house._

_In the house there stood their Spanish uncle, Antonio, holding a peculiar looking box. He was not really blood related to the twins, but as the man had been the one to look after them all those years, the boys had grown accustomed to calling him 'Tio' or 'Tio Tonio' – Spanish for 'Uncle Tonio'. Lovino had no idea where his parents were or why Antonio's eyes were the first objects he saw when he first opened his eyes as an infant. Nevertheless, Antonio was now family, and even though his exterior showed no affection towards his carefree uncle, he cared for him deeply in the inside. _

"_Tio, qué es eso?"* Feliciano asked, desperately tugging on the Spaniard's shirt._

* * *

Silence took over the room; it was so powerful that it was deafening to Lovino's ears. The only object in motion was the curtains connected to the open window, which swayed back and forth at each blow of the wind. Eyes wide open, Lovino laid on the hard floor. "Why now?" he whispered in a cracking voice. From the red swollen eyes and the damp patch of area beside Lovino's head, it was obvious that he had been crying.

The door creaked open and a middle-aged man stood by the entrance. He stood there for a few minutes. He opened his mouth to speak but was abruptly interrupted with a straining voice which called out a faint "Go away". An arm was also swung back repeatedly to his direction, and so he took the hint that he was not welcomed. Before he left, he took one last glimpse of Lovino. "Is there something-?"

"I said go away!" Lovino growled. Right now he didn't care who it was. He was drowning in his memories. All he wanted was to be alone. Untouched. Undisturbed. Like the sunken ship Titanic.

* * *

_Lovino sat on a made-up swing consisting of a tire suspended in thick, worn-out rope. In his hand he held the box he had seen earlier with Antonio and Feliciano. The memory of Antonio's voice repeated in his mind like a broken recorder:_

"_Remember, Lovino, this is a special tomato box. Grandpa Roma gave us this to place only our special tomatoes. Will you help me look after this box?" _

_For this reason, wherever Lovino went, his mind was set on protecting the box… until the next day he had forgotten to take the box with him on his walk to the market with his brother._

_In the middle of Lovino's bragging speech about how he was given responsibility of looking after the tomato box, Feliciano had interrupted: _

"_I'm sorry for interrupting Fratello, but how are you going to protect the box when it's sitting at home?" _

_Lovino glanced to his side and was at a loss of words._

_At time such as these, Lovino despised his brother's natural cleverness. It was true. Feliciano was the favoured child. As he was growing up Antonio's relatives would pay more attention to the naturally talented, naturally cute, and naturally innocent twin. He, on the other hand, was casted at the side. No one ever talked about him. Compared to the delicacy that Feliciano was, he was the leftovers. But Lovino had to understand that it was normal for the flawless child would get the best opportunities in life: the delicious food, the stylish clothes, and the perfect bedroom. Every now and then in his childhood, he would question if he was even related to the twin, or he was just unlucky, that in his development as a baby he was the host to all errors a child had. Sometimes, he literally felt that if he had not been born, Feliciano would just be an ordinary child – with perfections and mistakes. _

_To Lovino, the words that slipped past his brother's lip sounded more like:_

"_Fratello… are remotely aware that a weak person like you clearly lacks in strength and ability to handle such an important task?"_

_Without thinking, he turned around. _

_And he ran._

* * *

A/N: *"Tio, qué es eso?" = "Uncle, what is this?"


End file.
